Traction-engine



(No Model.)

J`. H. ELWARD.'

TRAGTION ENGINE.

UNITED STATES vlATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. ELWARD, OF STILLWATER, MINNESOTA.

TRACTION-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 268,648, dated December5, 1882.

Application filed August 24, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

`Be it known that I, JOHN H. ELWARD, a

full, clear, and exact description of the invenl lion, such as willenablev others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and toletters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specication.

Figure 1 is a side elevation'of a traction-engine embodying myinvention.. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line avv m, Fig. l. Fig.3 is a plan view of the steering devices. Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7are'detail views.

The brake, it will be seen, is so situated as to come in contact withthe wheel at a point between the highest and thelowest points of itsperiphery. By this arrangement. I avoid all interference with the beltor band that may be used upon the wheel when thrashing or using theengine for other purposes while stationary, the legs or strands of thebelt passing out of contact with the wheel at the highest and lowestpoints of its periphery, and I can stop the motionof the band itself.

The band-wheel is mounted upon the main shaft S', which carries also themain driving spur-wheel M. The wheel M gears and runs continuously withthe secondary geanwheel M', having upon its side a pinion, M5. Thepinion M5 is arranged to mesh alternately with the inner teeth and theouter teeth-of a double gear wheel, lVl2 M3. This double geared wheelcan be shifted in its position to bring either the inner or the outerteeth into mesh with the pinion Mi. In my former patent I provided forthe sliding of the double geared wheel rectilineally to and from thepinion. I have, however, found the last said method in many respectsinferior to that which I have herein shown, and will now describe. Thedouble geared wheel M2 M3 is loosely mounted on the shaft F. This shafthas eccentric journalsF' projecting from its ends, and it will be seenthat if the journals F' F be revolved onehalf way around they will throwthe shaft F'inlo two positions, one being the nearest to and the (Nomodel.)

other the farthest from the pinion M5. To thus partially rotate thejournals, I employ a racklever, H, 'and pinion G, the latter beingcarried by the inner journal, F'. With the shaft is carried the doublegeared wheel M? M3, and .thus either set of teeth can be caused toengage with the pinion M5. Vhen the inner set, M3, thus engage, theengine is moved forward.

When theouter set, M3, engage, the engine ismoved backward. It' thejournals F' F be `turned only one-quarter of a revolution, the shaft,and with it the wheel M2 M3, will be stopped in such a position thatneither of the sets of teeth will engage with the wheel M5, andtherefore the connection between the engine and the traction-wheels willbe broken. These latter are the relative positions in which the partsare when the engine is used for thrashing, or as a stationary motor forother machinery.-

Power is transmitted from the wheel M2 M3 to the traction-wheels bymeans of ya chain, K', and a sprocket-wheel, M4. This sprocketwheel issupported outside of the wheel M2 M3,

and is loose thereon. Abearing is provided for it by a circle orannulus, J, which is bolted to the outside of wheel M2 M3. With this an-4nulus there is cast or formed a ange, J3,whieh can lie upon theoutsideof a portion of the sprocket-wheel M4, and when this part JJ3 isfastened in place the sprocket-wheel lhas a secure bearing, but can beat any time'perfectly loose. trom the wheel M2 M3.

The irictional engagement between the sprocket-wheel and the wheel M2 M3is caused by cams F2 F2, a series ot' any suitable number ot' said camsbeing arranged around the shaft F. 'Ihese cams are pivoted at J2 to earsJ projecting outwardly from flange J 3. Each cam carries an arm,j.projecting inwardly toward the shaft F. F3 is sliding hub, mounted uponshaft F, and the inner ends of the calnarmsjj engage with this hub, andare moved out and in with it. The hub is thus moved by a forkedhand-lever, H4, pivoted to a bracket, h, on the outside ofthe boiler.When the hub is moved inward the cams are forced against IOO and alsothat it is often difficult t`o shift the gearwheel when the parts are inmotion, I have been led to devise the above-described construction andarrangement of parts.

It will be seen that the inner annular part carried by the chain-wheeland the opposing face of the wheel M2 M3 constitute a frictionclutch,one part of which is connected with the train orseries of gear-wheelsoperated by the shaft, and the other part of which consists ofthetraction devices proper.

I am aware that friction-clutches .have been heretofore used directly onthe main shaft; but when so arranged they cannot be utilized inconjunction with the reversing mechanism to effect the same purposesthat I can accomplish by first having a series of gear-wheels` or theirequivalents driven by the main shaft, parts of said gears being used toreverse, and then interposing a friction-clutch between the reversingmechanism and the traction-wheels. If the machine should be in motionunder such circumstances that it becomes necessary to employ great force.in stopping it, I can bring a great braking-power into play by the.-devices shown. The clutch. can be quickly thrown out, the gear-wheelsreversed, and the clutch then brought back into engagement with thegearing 4either gradually or quickly. If gradually, the clutch-faceswill operate as a powerful friction-brake to overcome thc momentum ofthe machine upon the groundwheels and bring said wheels speedily to astop, and after being thus utilized as a brake the clutch-faces may bebrought into complete engagementand` the reverse motion of the gearingbe communicated to the tractionwheels in the direction opposite to thatin which they were moving-just before the friction-faces were used as abrake.

The outerjournal,F, of shaft F is supported by means of braces B B',secured to the outside of the boiler. The shaft is held from movingendwise inwardly by reason of the inner end abutting against the innersupportingbracket, B3, and from moving outward lyby pinion G,whichis-tightly keyed to the. innerjournal, F', inside of the bracket B3. Thebracketsupport BB is an important feature of this construction overthose which have been heretofore used, as by -this vmeans a firm supportis provided at the outer end of the shaft F, the shafts correspondingthereto heretofore having been provided with` bearings only at the innerend. The construction and arrangenient herein shown prevent any shakingor loosening ofthe parts and hold them firmly in their proper relations.

The devices for steering the engine are constructed and operated asfollows: R2 R2 represent the front or truck wheels, and R their axle,connected to`the engine by a vertical pivot, in the usual manner. W is adrum connected to the under side of the boiler between the rear and thefront wheels. Its axis is situated vertically, and the drum is supportedby means of a strong bracket, W. At its upper end it carries abevelwheel, A. H is an inclined shaft, extending to the operatorsplatform, and provided with a bevel-wheel, A. By means of acounter-shaft, U, and bevelwheels U and U2 a connection is made betweenthe bevel-wheel A' and the wheel A. L represents a chain or ropewoundaround the drum W, and having its end attached at or near the ends ofthe front axle, R. By these devices the operator can readily throw thetruck frame and wheels into any of the positions shown in Fig. 3.

1.A In a traction-engine, the combination of the traction-wheels, themain en gine-shaft, the trainv or series of gearing-wheels driven bysaid shaft, the mechanism separable from said train or series of wheelsfor driving the traction-wheels, and the friction-clutch interposedbetween said traction driving mechanism, and the train of wheelsoperated by the shaft, as and for the purposes set forth.

2. 1n a traction-engine, the combination of the traction-wheels, themain engine-shaft, the train or vseries of gear-wheels driven b v saidshaft, the means for reversing the direction ot' the last wheel ot'- thetrain or series, and the friction-clutchl between the mechanism fordriving the traction -wheels, and the reversible IOO wheel,substantially as and for the purposes set forth. y

3. In a traction-engine, the combination of the traction-wheels,theengine-shaft, the train orl series of gear-wheels driven .by said shaft,the chain-wheel M4 for driving the tractionwheels, the means for.reversing s aid chainwheel, and the-friction-clutch interposed betweenthe reversing mechanism andthe chainwheel, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

4. The combination, with the chain-wheel M4, the wheel M5, and theintermediate mechanism for driving the chain-wheel, of the shaft F,situated centrally within said chain-wheel, the journals F', attached tosaid shaft eccentrically, and the shifting mechanism for rolling theshaft F on said eccentric journals, substantially as set forth.

5.1The combination, in a traction-engine, with the chain K andtheshifting gear-wheel M2 M3, of the sprocket-wheel M4, loosely supportedby said wheel M2 M3, and mechanism, substantially such as described, forforcing the sprocket-wheel into frictional engagement with the saidwheel M2 M3, as set forth.

In testimony whereof Iafx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

